"A culture of secrecy and fear of scandal that led bishops to place the interests of the Catholic Church ahead of the safety of children." …enforced for 20 years by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger before he became Pope Benedict XVI. Fern Report, October 2005

Sex Crimes and the Vatican – CBC News Network

Encore presentation of one of the first documentaries to link the Vatican to the cover-up of pedophile priests.

In recent weeks, the Vatican and in particular the Pope, have found themselves at the centre of a growing controversy about how they've dealt with pedophile priests and the children abused by those priests. First aired on the BBC in 2006 and later on The Passionate Eye on CBC Newsworld, "Sex Crimes & the Vatican" examines a controversial document which sets out a procedure for dealing with child sex abuse scandals within the Catholic Church. What makes it so controversial is that the document Crimen Sollicitationis was enforced for 20 years by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger before he became Pope Benedict XVI. Photo 

Created in 1962, the now infamous document was issued in secret to bishops. Called Crimen Sollicitationis, it outlined procedures to be followed by bishops when dealing with allegations of child abuse, homosexuality and bestiality by members of the clergy. It swore all parties involved to secrecy on pain of excommunication from the Catholic Church…

…O'Gorman then pushed for a government inquiry in Ireland which led to the Ferns Report. It was published in October 2005 and found: "A culture of secrecy and fear of scandal that led bishops to place the interests of the Catholic Church ahead of the safety of children." He links international 'systemic evidence' to argue the Vatican has a policy to cover up the sexual abuse of thousands of children across the world.

In Sex Crimes and the Vatican, O'Gorman explores four separate cases internationally of widespread clerical abuse, putting the Roman Catholic Church on trial for the reckless endangerment of children. Read more - Sex Crimes and the Vatican – CBC News Network

“Someday, maybe, there will exist a well-informed, well considered and yet fervent public conviction that the most deadly of all possible sins is the mutilation of a child’s spirit.” Erik Erikson

Kids Are Being Hurt!!!

…whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. Matthew 18:6

"A culture of secrecy and fear of scandal that led bishops to place the interests of the Catholic Church ahead of the safety of children." …enforced for 20 years by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger before he became Pope Benedict XVI. Fern Report, October 2005

Fern Report, October 2005 - read more 

…it is imperative that we do not allow the publicity of the “child sexual abuse cases” in Ireland to die down without convictions and proper restitution made to the victims. Christ warned us about the importance of protecting children, which Benedict XVI and the hierarchy seem to have long forgotten. "Protect children and the entire world will be safe." If we forget the children we will lose just like Benedict XVI and the hierarchy are for not protecting the "little ones." They tried to maintain secrecy about this ongoing sexual abuse of children and continue to do so. However, now the fact that we, the world, have known about it for the past seven years (2002-2009), it is now our responsibility not to remain silent and begin protecting children.  However, it is vitally important that we do not become vigilantes, self-appointed doers of justice, which would only compound the violence being done to children worldwide. No one is ever protected in this manner. Read more - RC hierarchy child sexual abuse “cover-ups” ordered by Benedict XVI to avoid public outrage & criminal charges - falsely accused gay priests WATERGATE?